The Miami Heat have been at the forefront of recent NBA trade rumors thanks to Jimmy Butler. While Miami could trade Butler before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, they may also elect to keep him around and upgrade their roster.
The Heat have had a solid start to the season as they currently sit sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with a 13-11 record. Tyler Herro has led the way for them this season as he is putting together an All-Star-caliber season. The 24-year-old is averaging 24.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 47.6% from the field and 41.3% from three.
Herro is not the only player on Miami’s roster playing well. Their duo of Butler and Bam Adebayo have them in the hunt for one of the top seeds in the East as they sit just two games behind the New York Knicks, who hold the third seed.
While Miami has had a good start to the season, they have been surrounded by trade rumors focused on Butler. While it is likely they deal Butler before the Feb. 6 deadline, it is possible that they keep him around to try and make another deep playoff run.
If they were to choose that route, they could look to upgrade their roster. One player they could target is the Chicago Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic.
Vucevic has had a great start to the season as he is averaging 21.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 58.7% from the field and 47.5% from three. With the Bulls looking to offload their veterans, the Heat could swoop in and make a deal for the All-Star center.
In a possible trade, Miami could send Duncan Robinson, Pelle Larson and draft picks to Chicago for Vucevic. For Miami, acquiring Vucevic would allow them to finally shift Adebayo to the power forward position.
With Vucevic’s three-point shooting, he would make Miami’s offense better and would be able to space the floor. The downfall of this trade is Vucevic’s poor defense, but Adebayo and Butler should be able to pick up his slack.
By making this trade and keeping Butler, the Heat could make another deep run in the playoffs as they try to win their first championship since the LeBron James era.
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